Store-service apparatus.



Patented Aug. 20 l90l.

J. T. COWLEY. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

(Application filed me. Q0, 1599.

(No Modal.)

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JAMES T. COWLEY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAMSON CONSOLIDATED STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OF NEWARK,

JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,040, dated August 20, 1901.

Application filed December 20, 1899. Serial No. 740,964 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES T. COWLEY, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store-Service Apparatus, of which the following is a speci- ,fication.

when received from the opposite end of the line.

This invention is an improvement on that shown,described,and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 582,810, dated May 18, 1897, and issued to the Lamson Consolidated Store Service Company of New Jersey as my assignee. 1

My invention relates tocertain novel features hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a construction embodying my invention, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the line with stations located at each end. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a station, showing the carrier-retaining device in a raised position. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2,showing the retaining device lowered in position to retain a carrier after thedetachment of the receptacle. Fig. .Lisa detail View, partly in section, of one end of the carrier, showing the catchfor holding the carrier when it enters a station. view of the same.

Fig. 5 is a top plan Fig. 6 is an end view of A represents a wire track over which a carrier is adapted to travel in passing from one station to another and is supported at its opposite ends by the hangers B B. The carrier 0, having wheels 0, is adapted to travel forward and backward over the track A, and when the carrier reaches the right-hand end of the line it engages with the catch-O supported on the track Aby a suitable roller M, and is cushioned by the spring 0, mounted on the rod 0 and working freely in the casting 0 secured on the end of the standard B.

D represents a receptacle having bails D, the upper end of which is arranged to engage with the carrier C.

D represents drop-hooks suspended by the cords E, passing over the pulleys E in the bracket E mounted on the brace-rods F, the hooks D being adapted to engage with the yoke D connecting the bails D on the receptacle D when the carrier enters a station. The cord E passes up over the pulleys E mounted in the casting E and passes downwardly, as shown at E and is provided with a handle E for raising and lowering the drop hooks to first detach the receptacle and lower the same and to attach the receptacle when the receptacle is raised by the operator.

The detaching and attaching, which are accomplished by pulling on the handle E form no part of the present invention, as the mechanism and the operation are identical with that shown, described, and claimed in the above-mentioned Letters Patent.

The brace-rods F are secured to the bracket F, mounted on the standard B, and the outer ends are secured to the fork F carrying at.

its outer end the pulleys F over which the cord F passes. This cord F passes around the end of the carrier C, as shown in Fig. 1, i

and passes over the pulleys F upwardly, over the pulleys in line with the pulleys E and then passes downwardly, as shown at F", around the pulleys in the casting F and is secured to the bracket E at F. Secured to the casting F and extending downwardly the bracket G, supported by the standards B, has a brace-rod G, extending downwardly I only one of which is shown; but they are iden- I ends of the fork G handle G tical and located in line. Pivoted on the fork G is an arm G having at its outer end the handle G". This handle is provided with pulleys G around which the cord H passes. This cord H is secured at H to the bracket G, passes downwardly around the pulleys G upwardly over the pulleys H and downwardly around the pulleys H located in the The cord H forms a loop at the fork G and said loop passes under the wire track A imposition to engage with the carrier when the carrier enters a station and. is carried back along with the carrier, raising the handle G The apparatus thus far described forms no part of my invention, which consists of the construction to be hereinafter described.

When a carrier has entered the central station, the catch K pivoted on the pin K engages with the catch J, secured to the bracket J, supported on the track A by a suitable roller N. This catch J has a rod J extending backwardly and supported by the bracket G Around the rod J 3 is a spring J the object of which is to cushion a carrier when it enters a station. Pivoted at K on the carrier O is. a forked catch K, the upper end of which passes upwardly in position to engage with the cord H when a carrier enters a station. This catch is held forward by the spring K The catch K has a lip K on its upper side in position to engage with the catch K when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 4:. When it is desired to despatch the carrier from the central station, the operator pulls down on the handle G thereby pulling on the cord H, passing around the upper end of the catch K, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. As the operator continues to pull on the handle G the cord H will lift the catch K out of engagement with the upper end K" of the catch K allowing the catch K to swing to the position shown in Fig. 6, thereby releasing the carrier from the catch J. By continuing the pull on the handle G the carrier is forced to the opposite end of the line by the impulse exerted by the operator on the When the carrier reaches the opposite end of the track and has engaged with the catch G a catch similar to the catch K will again be brought into engagement with a catch similar to the catchK in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 4, it being understood that the catches on both ends of the carrier 0 are alike. Thepurpose of these catches as constructed is to securely hold the carrier in the station and to release the same when the operator pulls on the propelling cord, it being understood that the catchK is lifted out of engagement with the catch K that the catch K is then free to turn upon the pin K and that after the carrier has left the fixed catch at each station the catch K will fall by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 6 and be returned again to its normal position when a carrier enters a station. By this arrangement the carrier is easily released by the operator pulling on the propelling cord and is also easily engaged when a carrier enters a station. \Vhen it is de* sired to lower the receptacle D within reach of the operator, the operator by pulling on the handle E will detach the receptacle from the carrier 0 in the manner as shown and described in the above-mentioned Letters Patent. As the receptacle lowers in engagement with the drop-hooks, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1, the bar L, with the eyes L around the opposite cords E, forms the retaining de- Vice when .lowered from its upper position (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) to the position shown in Fig. 3. In this position the retaining-bar L rests upon the track A between the two wheels of the carrier, and consequently the operator cannot despatch the carrierC when the receptacle is detached therefrom, and thus the carrier 0 is prevented from being sent to the opposite end of the line while the receptacle is detached and lowered, which frequently occurs in the operation of this style of car= riers. When the receptacle D has again been brought into engagement with the carrier 0 by the operator pulling on the handle E the retaining-bar L is lifted by the collar E on the end of the spring L and with the retaining-bar L in this position it is out of the path of the carrier 0, so that the carrier is free to be despatched to the opposite station with the receptacle D attached.

Having thus ascertained the nature of my invention and set forth a construction embodying the same, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is- V 1. In a store-service apparatus, a track, a carrier, a receptacle detachably connected to said carrier, mechanism located permanently at the end of the track for lowering and raising said receptacle and means for retaining the carrier at the station when the receptacle is detached therefrom, and adapted to be removed from engagement with the carrier upon the attachment of the receptacle to the carrier.

2. In a store-service apparatus, a track, a carrier, a receptacle detachably connected to said carrier, means for retaining the carrier at the station when the receptacle is detached therefrom, mechanism located permanently at the end of the track for lowering and raising said receptacle and means for releasing the retaining device by the attachment of the receptacle to the carrier.

3. In a store-service apparatus, a track, a carrier, a receptacle detachably connected to said carrier, and a retaining-bar adapted to I be lowered between the wheels of the carrier and adapted to be raised from between the I wheels of the carrier upon the attachment of the receptacle to the carrier to allow the travel of the carrier from the station.

5. In a store-service apparatus, a track, a carrier adapted to travel on said track, a fixed catch at the end of the track, a pivoted catch on the carrier for engaging with the fixed catch, and means on the carrier for holding the pivoted catch in engagement with the fixed catch, and means for despatching the carrier and adapted to act on said holding means to release the pivoted catch to allow the despatch of the carrier.

6. In a store-service apparatus, a track, a carrier adapted to travel on said track, a fixed catch at the end of the track, a pivoted catch on the carrier for engaging with the fixed catch, a spring-operated catch on the carrier for holding the pivoted catch in engagement with the fixed catch, and a propelling cord for releasing the pivoted catch to allow the despatch of the carrier.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 15th day of December, A. D. 1899.

JAMES T. COWLEY;

Witnesses:

A. L. MEssER, V. M. MACLELLAN. 

